Title 51, Title 51. Public Welfare

If the department of children and youth sanctions a public children services agency, private child placing agency, or private noncustodial agency, it shall take every possible precaution to ensure that any foster children that have been placed by the agency under sanction are not…

Money from the children services fund shall not be used to provide a personal loan to any individual. Last updated October 3, 2025 at 9:43 AM

In addition to the remedies available under sections 5101.24 and 5180.423 of the Revised Code, the department of children and youth may certify a claim to the attorney general under section 131.02 of the Revised Code for the attorney general to take action under that section agai…

(A)(1) The director of children and youth shall implement 42 U.S.C. 675(8) to make federal payments for foster care under Title IV-E directly to, or on behalf of, any emancipated young adult who meets the following requirements: (a) The emancipated young adult signs a voluntary p…

(A) Without the approval of a court, an emancipated young adult who receives payments, or on whose behalf payments are received, under division (A) of section 5180.428 of the Revised Code, may enter into a voluntary participation agreement with the department of children and yout…

(A)(1) If, after a child's adoption is finalized, the department of children and youth considers the child to be in need of public care or protective services, the department may, to the extent state funds are available for this purpose, enter into an agreement with the child's a…

Within available funds the department of children and youth may reimburse counties in accordance with this section for a portion of the salaries paid to child welfare workers employed under section 5153.12 of the Revised Code. No county with a population of eighty thousand or les…

As used in sections 5180.45 to 5180.454 of the Revised Code: (A) "Adopted child" means a person who is less than eighteen years of age when the person becomes subject to a final order of adoption, an interlocutory order of adoption, or when the adoption is recognized by this stat…

(A) The director of children and youth shall establish and administer the Ohio adoption grant program in accordance with sections 5180.45 to 5180.454 of the Revised Code. (B) The director shall provide either of the following one-time payments for an adopted child to the child's …

(A) To receive a grant payment under division (B) of section 5180.451 of the Revised Code, all of the following must be satisfied: (1) The adoptive parent has not previously received a grant payment from the Ohio adoption grant program for the adopted child for whom the parent is…

(A) The director of children and youth shall adopt rules to administer and implement the Ohio adoption grant program. The director, in consultation with the tax commissioner, shall also adopt rules authorizing the department to withhold and remit to the Internal Revenue Service f…

Any document provided to the department of children and youth under division (C) of section 5180.453 of the Revised Code remains: (A) A public record under section 149.43 of the Revised Code if it was a public record under that section before being provided to the department; (B)…

As used in sections 5180.51 to 5180.514 of the Revised Code, "kinship caregiver" means any of the following who is eighteen years of age or older and is caring for a child in place of the child's parents: (A) The following individuals related by blood or adoption to the child: (1…

The department of children and youth shall establish a statewide kinship care navigator program to assist kinship caregivers who are seeking information regarding, or assistance obtaining, services and benefits available at the state and local level that address the needs of thos…

The director of children and youth shall divide the state into not less than five and not greater than twelve regions, for the kinship care navigator program under section 5180.51 of the Revised Code. The director shall take the following into consideration when establishing the …

The program in each kinship care navigator region established under section 5180.511 of the Revised Code shall provide information and referral services and assistance in obtaining support services for kinship caregivers within its region. Last updated October 3, 2025 at 9:27 AM

The department of children and youth shall adopt rules to implement the kinship care navigator program. The rules shall be adopted under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, except that rules governing fiscal and administrative matters related to implementation of the program are in…

(A)(1) The kinship care navigator program shall be funded to the extent that general revenue funds have been appropriated by the general assembly for that purpose. (2) The director of children and youth shall take any action necessary to obtain funds available for the kinship car…

(A) As used in this section: (1) "Custodian," "guardian," and "minor child" have the same meanings as in section 5107.02 of the Revised Code. (2) "Federal poverty guidelines" has the same meaning as in section 5101.46 of the Revised Code. (3) "Kinship caregiver" has the same mean…

As used in sections 5180.531 to 5180.536 of the Revised Code: (A) "Cost-of-living adjustment" has the same meaning as in section 5107.04 of the Revised Code. (B) "Kinship caregiver" has the same meaning as in section 5180.50 of the Revised Code. Last updated October 3, 2025 at 9:…

There is hereby established the kinship support program. The department of children and youth shall coordinate and administer the program to the extent funds are appropriated and allocated for this purpose. Last updated October 3, 2025 at 9:24 AM

The kinship support program shall provide financial payments to kinship caregivers who: (A) Receive placement of a child who is in the temporary or permanent custody of a public children services agency or under the Title IV-E agency with legal responsibility for the care and pla…

Kinship support program payments under section 5180.532 of the Revised Code shall be ten dollars and twenty cents per child, per day, to the extent funds are available. The department of children and youth shall increase the payment amount on January 1, 2022, and on the first day…

Kinship support program payments shall be made to kinship caregivers for not more than six months after the date of placement of a child with the kinship caregiver. Last updated October 3, 2025 at 9:21 AM

Kinship support program payments under section 5180.532 of the Revised Code shall cease when any of the following occur: (A) The kinship caregiver obtains foster home certification under section 5103.03 of the Revised Code. (B) In accordance with section 5180.534 of the Revised C…

The director of children and youth may adopt rules for the administration of the kinship support program in accordance with section 111.15 of the Revised Code. Last updated October 3, 2025 at 9:20 AM

Benefits and services provided under the kinship guardianship assistance program, extended kinship guardianship assistance program, kinship support program, and kinship permanency incentive program are inalienable whether by way of assignment, charge, or otherwise and exempt from…

A kinship caregiver, on obtaining foster home certification under section 5103.03 of the Revised Code, shall receive foster care maintenance payments equal to the custodial agency rate as determined by the certifying agency, which is either the custodial agency, private child pla…

(A) There is hereby created in the department of children and youth the Ohio commission on fatherhood. The commission shall consist of the following members: (1)(a) Four members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house, not more than two of whom are m…

(A) The Ohio commission on fatherhood shall elect a chairperson from among its members in every odd-numbered year. (B) The governor shall appoint an individual to serve as the commission's executive director. The executive director shall serve at the pleasure of the governor and …

The Ohio commission on fatherhood shall do both of the following: (A) Organize a state summit on fatherhood every four years; (B) Prepare a report each year that does the following: (1) Identifies resources available to fund fatherhood-related programs and explores the creation o…

Sections 101.82 to 101.87 of the Revised Code do not apply to the Ohio commission on fatherhood. Last updated October 3, 2025 at 9:15 AM

(A) Subject to division (E) of section 5101.801 of the Revised Code, the Ohio commission on fatherhood, created under section 5180.70 of the Revised Code, may make recommendations to the director of children and youth concerning the funding, approval, and implementation of father…

(A) The department of children and youth, through the Ohio commission on fatherhood, must contract for the development and implementation of the responsible fatherhood initiative (RFI). The initiative must provide an opportunity for every father in the state to obtain information…

(A) The department of children and youth, through the Ohio commission on fatherhood, must award grants to eligible nonprofit organizations, as described in section 5180.705 of the Revised Code, to address the needs of fathers. The department must award the following types of gran…

(A) A nonprofit organization that receives a grant under section 5180.706 of the Revised Code must address the unique needs of the fathers of children who are served by the organization. The organization must do all of the following: (1) Conduct an initial assessment of its engag…

(A) Subject to division (E) of section 5101.801 of the Revised Code, there is hereby created the Ohio parenting and pregnancy program to provide services for pregnant women and parents or other relatives caring for children twelve months of age or younger that do both of the foll…

(A) There is hereby created in the state treasury the "choose life" fund. The fund shall consist of the contributions that are paid to the registrar of motor vehicles by applicants who voluntarily elect to obtain "choose life" license plates pursuant to section 4503.91 of the Rev…

To increase participation in evidence-based parenting education programs, the department of children and youth shall ensure state departments, agencies, and boards have information to communicate with parents, caregivers, and child care providers about such programs to promote th…

(A) Whoever violates division (B) of section 5180.275 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree. (B) Whoever violates section 5180.403 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. Last updated September 8, 2025 at 5:50 PM